Damper-controlling mechanism for furnaces



July 21, 1925. 1,546,794

A. W. FUDDINGTON DAMPER CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR FURNACES Filed Feb, 25, 1924 i lll Patented .luly 2l, 1925.

- H raam PATENT OFFICE.'

nn'riiun W. Punnriveon, or rnov'rnnricn-,iai-ronn retenu, nssreivoa To FURNACE hannover/tuur oor/.traum on r'aovrnnncn, aucun rstANn, A CORPORATION or RHODE ISLAND.

' DAMruaooN'rn-OLLINGMEOHANISM Fon :cutaneous Application filed February 25, 1924. Serial No. $911,913.`

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR lV. PUDDrNG- TON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the. county of Providence and Sete of Rhode lsland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dan1perControlling Mechanism for Furnaces, of which the following is a specification. Y f

This invention relates to damper-controlling mechanism for furnaces; and has vfor its object to provide a mechanism of this character which is an improvement over that disclosed in my priorPatent No.`

866,515, of September 17, 1907, the present invention comprising a valve forcontrolling thesupply of combustible fluid to the furnace in combination with one or more movable elements arranged to be. actuated by fluid pressure to`open and close this valve which `controls the fluid supply to the furnace.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means whereby this valve is operated to control the admission. of air to` the furnace and also to admitfsteamif required while the fire door is open and forv a further predeterminedperiod after the door is closed. 1 1

lvVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be morefully` described, and Aparticularly pointed out inthe appended claims. i

In theaccompanying drawings. i

Figure 1 isa frontelevation of a furnace to which my improved fuel supply controlling mechanism is attached.V

Figure 2 is a sectional eleva-tion of the Ichamber which is controlled in its action by fluid pressure. 4

Figure 3 is a section on line 3 3v of Figure 1 through the air supply conduit and showing the ejector nozzles as forcing the air from the conduit into the furnace.

Figure et is a sectional elevation ofthe cylinder which carries the valve closing pressure and the means for connecting the. steam supply valve tothe cylinder to be operated through the action of two diaphragms having different exposed areas.`

Figure `5 is a sectional elevation of the pressure relief Ivalve `arranged to be opened by theopening of the furnace door to relieve the valve closing pressure inthe cylinder.

It "is lfound in the practical operation of furnaces of this character, of advantage to supply combustiblefuel thereto during and for a predetermined period after the operal tion of stolring the same for the purpose of supplying to the excess of unconsumed carbon then present, the amount of air or of steam andair necessary to insureV the burning of such fuel without development of smoke; and to accomplish this I have provideda supply control .valve,the movable member of Vwhich is operated by a pair of movable elements such as diaphragms or other pressure operating devices each of which Vmay be provided if desired, vwith aV different exposed or effective area, the mechanism ybeing so arranged that theV opening of the furnace door may be caused to relieve the pressure beneath one of the diaphragms permitting the pressure ofthe supplying fluid to act upon the other diaphragm to open the valve and'after the doorhas'again been closed the pressure is caused to rise slowly beneath the large-r diaphragm forcing thefvalve closure member to its sea-t and by my improved construction the `valve stem is entirely inclosed or submerged'in. the pressure thus eliminating the use of .packing glands aboutthe stem and so positively preventing leakage around the same; and the Y following isa detailed Vdescription of one means by which these advantageous.results may be accomplished With reference to the drawings, 10 designates a. furnace the same being provided with the usual lire'doors 11 above which is shown as being loca-ted a plurality of air injectors *12 comprising elongated nozzles enteringopenings 13 leading from the main air supply conduit 14 into'the fireboX of the furnace. The `supply offair to this conduit iscontrolled bya damper 15 which is provided with a plurality of` shutters 1G pivoted at 17 and connected together by a bar 18 all to be operated simultaneonsly by a movement of the knee lever 19.

rlhis knee lever ispivoted at 20 and its upper end 21 is connected t0 a rod 22 which is pivoted at its upper end at 23. The pin 24 is mounted upon the diaphragm 25 to act upon the under side of this rod just below its pivot point whereby when lthe diaphragm is pressed outwardly the rod is moved into position Shown in dotted lines to Swing the shutters t open position.

This shutter-operating diaphragm is controlled in its action by steam pressure admitted through valve 29 from anysuitable source of energy (not shown) threiigh pipe 26 and automatic control valve 27 and the Steam fram this saine supply may also be Conducted through pipe 28 to commimcate with the steam jets 12 or to any other suitable means for forcing air into the furnace or this supply may be shut off entirely if desired by valve 58 permitting the air to be admitted to the yfurnace through the damper ivithoutthe intermixing or forcing action of steam.

As it is found in practice Of advantage to admit air and sometimes a mixture .of air l and steam to the combustion chamber of the boiler in order to cause a more .Complete combustion therein during' the distillation of volatile combustible from the freshly stoked fuel, and in order to admit this supply of air or the combined supply of air and steam automatically when the door of the furnace is open vfor stoking, I have provided a steam pressure supply control cylinder 80 havinga dome-shaped head 31 with a threaded neck portion 32 onto which the neck 33 o f the inverted valve is screwed.

Just beneath this head is a diaphragm 34 formed of any suitableflexihle material and beneath this diaphragm is an intermediate plate 3 5 arranged to support the diaphragm and leave but a relatively small portion'exposed and unsupported to be moved vertically by action ofpressure and between this intermediate'plate 35and the flange 36 fof the cylinder head, I have mounted a diaphragm 37' Which has an exposed area greater than the smaller. diaphragm 34 and both this headBO, the two diaphragme, and thef intermediate plate areall secured to the flanged end of the cylinder 'by means of bolts 38. i v i These two diaphragms are connected together through the bolts 39 and .40 tofmove in unison with each other.

The valve member carrying` stem 41 is mounted to slide loosely ven Ways in the bearing 42, sufficient space being left around the stem to permit the pressure of steam which flows through the valve to enter the space 431m the head to act upon the relatively small exposed area of the upper dia phra'gm 34.

The lower end of this cylinder 30 is connected through 'pipe 44 down'through the pressure relief valve 45 and short pipe 46 into the usual ash pit of the furnace. This relief valve being provided With an end- Ways slidable member 49 which is arranged to be moved from its seat by a cam pin 48 througlithe stem 49 when the door 11 of the furnace swings to open position on its hinge 50.

lVater or other pressure may be supplied to this cylinder 3Q from any convenient source throughithe'supply pipe 51 and valve 52, the vlatter being. just slightly opened so that the act of opening the furnace door for the purpose of stoking, opens the relief valve 45 will permit the Water in the cylinder to run down into the ash pit and relieve the pressure in this cylinder 30 whereby when the pressure in this cylinder is released the pressure of steam in the upper chamber 5.3 O if the Valve 27 acting upon the closure member 54 forces it from its seat, the pressure then entering through the opening 55 acts upon the smaller diaphragm 34 through any Water which may have accumulated in the space 43 forcing this diaphragm with the larger diaphragm downward permitting the valve closure member t0 be forced from its seat by the steam pressure thus permitting the steam to enter from the supply pipe 56 to pass through the control valve 27 a portion 0f which will pass through the pipe 2 6 to actupon the damper to open it permitting air to flow through the conduit 14 into the furnace and also permitting if desired another portion of this steam .to HOW through pipe 28 to and through the plurality of jet nozzles 12 to mix with the air from this conduit and assist in forcing it into the combustion chamber of the furnace.

After the stokingV has been completed the fire door is closed permitting the pressure relief valve 45 .to close under action of spring 57. Pressure is again built up in the pipe 44 by the Water or other fluid which lflows in through pipe 5 1. The amount of time required to build up the necessary pressure in cylinder 30 to'close the control valve 29 being determined by the amount of opening of the valve 52, and after this .pressure has been built up in this cylinder 30 suiiiciently it acts upon the diaphragm 37 toV force it with the' diaphragm 34 upward to close the control valve 29 the further flow of steam therethrough is prevented until the relief valve 45 is again opened as `above described by the opening of one of the stoking doors of the furnace.

My improved operating mechanism is extremely simple and practical in construction and effective in its operation and by its use the moving parts are greatly reduced and as all packing glands are eliminated no objectionable leakage can occur.

The foregoing description is directed solely `towards the construction illustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all tlie mechanical changes to which the device is susceptible, ytlie invention being defined and limited only bytlie terms of the appended claims. Y

I claim:

l. In combination with a furnace, means connected with said furnace for introducing combustion-aiding fluid thereinto, a mov-y able valve member controlling the flow of said fluid, a plurality of pressure-responsive elements operatively associated with said 'valve member, said elements being respectively subject to different pressures, and means whereby the manipulation of a furnace element is caused to control the action of said pressures on said valve member to control admission of fluid to the furnace.

2. In combination with a furnace, means connected with the furnace for introducing combustion-aiding fluid tliereinto, a valve controlling the flow of said fluid, a plurality of pressure responsive elements of different exposed areas operatively associated with said valve, and means whereby the manipulation of a furnace element is caused to control the action of said pressures on said valve member to control admission of this fluid to the furnace.

3. In combination With a furnace, means connected with the furnace for introducing combustion-aiding fluid tliereinto, a valve subjected to inlet pressure of said fluid and arranged to control its flow, pressure-responsive elements of tvvo different exposed areas to be operated by different pressures and operatively associated with said valve, and means operated by the manual manipulation of a furnace element for effecting the valve closing pressure onv one of said elements whereby said valve may be opened or closed to control the admission of fluid to the furnace.

4. In combination with a furnace, a damper for controlling the flow of air to the furnace, a valve for controlling` the floW'of fluid for operating the damper, a plurality of auxiliary movable elements of different exposed areas operatively associated With said valve, and means controlled by manual manipulation of a furnace element for applying pressure to said different areas to open and close said valve to lcontrol the flow of said fluid to operate the damper.

In combination with a furnace, a damper for controlling the flow of air to the fur nace, a valve for controlling the fiovv of fluid for operating the damper, auxiliary movable elements of different exposed areas operatively associated with said valve, and means for applying the damper-operating pressure to one of said areas, afurnace door, and

means operated by "the manipulation ofsaid door for controlling an independent. pressure to act upon otlier` of said areas to open andclose said valve to control the flow of said fluidtov operate tlie damper.

6. 'In combinationavitlr a furnace, means for introducing combustion-aiding fluid iliereinto, a valve for controlling the flovvof tliis fluid, movable elements of vdifferent eX- posed areas operatively associated with said valve, both of said elements being effected by pressure of the supplying fluid to Open the valve, a furnace door, and means controlled by the manipulatingof the furnace door for controlling the supply of a second fluid pressure to act upon said elements to close the valve against the pressure of the supplying fluid.

7. The combination with a furnace, of a fluid jet for injecting air thereinto, a damper for controlling tlie flovv .of air to said jets, a valve, a plurality of movable elements of different operating areas actuated by tvvo different actuating pressures operatively as sociated with said valve, and means controlled by the manipulation of a furnace part for releasing the pressure on one of said. elements to permit the valve to open and to restore the pressure to close the valve.

8. The combination With a furnace, of a fluid j et for injecting air tliereinto, a damper for controlling the flow of air to said jet, a valve for controlling the flow of fluid for opera-ting said damper, a plurality of movable elements of different exposed areas arranged to be operated by two different pressures for controlling the operation of said valve, a furnace door, and means controlled by the manipulation of said door for controlling the valve-operating action of said VPFGSSUIGS.

9. In combination vvitli a furnace, means for supplying steam and air to the furnace, means whereby the floiv of steam also assists the flow of air, a pressure valve for controlling tlie flow of the steam, movable elements of different exposed operating areas cooperating With said valve, means controlled by tlie manipulation of a furnace element for relieving the pressure on the larger of said elements to permit the supply fluid pressure to act upon said valve and the smaller element to permit said valve to open, said means being also arranged to restore the pressure on the larger element to act through the smaller element to close said valve.

l0. In combination with a furnace, a steam-controlled damper for regulating the supply 0f air to the furnace, a steam jet to assist in forcing the air into the repot above the fuel bed, a valve controlling the supply of steam to said damper-control and said jet, a plurality of cooperating valve opening and closing diaphragms, a furnace door, and means for releasing the closing pressure to and i diaphragm for Qperlting said Valve, 10

Said wlw-.Operating diaphragm being- 1f@- spqnsive t@ the action of pressure controlled by Iiaynauai manipulation Qi' @L furnace element, whereby said igimlpler diaphragm is operated. 1.a lr] testimony wherepf l affix my signature.

ARTHUR. W. PUDDiNGTQN. 

